Children grow so quickly ”“ in size, intelligence, and abilities. As I watch my third granddaughter throughout this first year of her life, I realize this anew. The stages and development of children continues to amaze me no matter how many times I have enjoyed the experience.

And then I read about the growth of another child …

Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. When Jesus was twelve, he also went with them. Once the festival was over, everyone headed home. When His parents couldn’t find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for Jesus, and discovered Him in the Temple, sitting with the religious leaders, listening to them and asking questions. At the end of the story, we read this:

“Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and all the people.”
(Luke 2:52, NLT)

Jesus grew.

He was able to sit and learn from those around Him. He remained One who could listen and exchange thoughts with others. Jesus, the One Who is all knowing, still came to this earth as a child who desired to learn. He came and He grew throughout His childhood.

He came as One willing to be taught and willing to learn.

We need to remain learners all our lives. We benefit from being with others and hearing their experiences. We glean from their knowledge, recognizing we all cannot know everything.

But it isn’t enough for us to just gather up knowledge and store it in our minds. Somehow it has to get down into our hearts and translate into more than information.

Our minds and our hearts need to become engaged with one another. Our minds spring to life with what our heart knows to be Truth. We must come to the place where we apply to our daily living that which we have learned.

Each day, as our situations play out, we must come before Him and ask, “What do you want me to learn about You, and from You today?”

As we ask this question of Him, somehow I think we come to learn from Him in every circumstance, in every joy, in every pain, in every sorrow, and in every laughter.

When we ask Him that question, every day becomes the classroom in which we learn more about Him, “growing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and all the people”.

Jesus grew and
we must continue to grow as well.